betrthnever

Good for you mindylouhoo! I agree - just because we can eat the old comfort foods (for me anything with sugar/chocolate), should we? It is what got us here in the first place. It is my goal to remain as sugar free as long as possible. I had an addiction to chocolate so I can't so much as taste it before I'm off the wagon. Years ago (in a land far, far away) I lost 50 pounds by doing Weight Watchers in about 6 months and I didn't even touch chocolate. As soon as I did (which I suppose was inevitable) I just gave up. There are others who don't have that same problem and I am very envious. :grouphug:

My Dr said no intense exercise for 6 to 8 weeks. Can't even bicycle for 8 weeks! But I feel comfortable with that. Been walking a lot. Right now I have some pain in my port area after having none since the first week.

Hi all cat lovers, my 6 month old kitten/cat throws up at least 3x a week and its always pink! :confused2:AND it stains. Doesn't look like its a hairball but not sure. Sometimes his poop is strange colors, too, like pink and red. He's a very active guy and is in good health. Does anyone know what might be going on? Thanks for all of your help!

We've had him a couple of months and he's had his poop tested a few weeks ago. Was billed in great health. Trystelle, my DH pointed that out, too.. (about the food coloring). In every other way he's a perfectly normal kitty. My other cat doesn't have any of these problems at all and doesn't ever pass hairballs. I wonder if breed has anything to do with it - he looks to be part Siamese. Just thought I'd get other's opnions. Its not really worrying me 'cause he is very healthy otherwise. Thanks for the help!

Sorry specialK about all that snow! I'm thinking about you while enjoying the 70 degree weather here in Phoenix, AZ. You'll make it to the important date!

I switched to my mother's Dr office - one of the reasons (and there were a few others) being that my previous Dr didn't believe in the surgery- only to find out that the new Dr didn't believe in the bariatric surgery either! I never bothered to ask him for the letter. So I haven't even seen him for almost 6 months now. Sooner or later I'll have to see him but oh well it was my decision no matter what. Good thing I have a childhood friend who's a Dr and who was able to write me the needed letter of recomendation for the surgery.

Hi Azchick, what type of band do you have? I'm curious.

My blood surger was just fine this am. Perhaps I spiked it yesterday and it crashed but either way I'm feeling ok today. And I'm staying away from the starches.

Hi Waterlily1072, you aren't a failure and I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm 16 days post op (of course no fill yet) wondering for how long will I be albe to resist junk food! I was wondering, did you have restriction that year you gained back your weight? I'm just curious how it works...its all new to me still. thanks so much!

I was just banded 2/19 but my skin, even at 40, has been saggy for years. I know I'll need it if I want to feel sexy in a bathing suit or anything even semi-revealing. Just a gentic thing along with the weight thing. However, surgery is most likely a pipe dream; it would be too expensive. Although 'cause my stomach is so stretched out my insurance might pay for a tummy tuck. I WANT to have surgery later!

My Dr said to moniter my blood when I wake up in the am for 7 days. If they're too low I need to see my general Dr. He said blood levels in the 50's weren't great but if it gets into the 40's then I need to worry. I broke down and had a piece of bread (ok I still feel guilty about it) but I felt great for the rest of the day.

I've been banded for 2 weeks now and I'm having some problems with low blood sugar last couple of days. Been feeling kind of "out of it" and unable to concentrate so my formerly diabetic friend (she's had the gastric bypass) tested my blood and my sugar was in the 50's and it said that I was hypo-glycemic. This morning I was craving more ruffage and ate a bowl of Kashi high Protein Cereal with some plain soy milk & grapes. Up till this point I've been sticking to my post-surgery diet - Proteins, cooked vegies & fruits. Cereal (starches), even low sugar, wasn't suppose to be on that list. Still waiting for my Dr to contact me. Hypo-glycemia runs in my family. Anyone have any thoughts? Could I have made it worse by what I ate? :confused2:

My scars look more like I've been chopped up then sliced! 2 weeks out today (sorry no pics) and the port one is still ugly. I feel like I was slapped together very quickly. I don't know if its because of all the stretch marks on my stomach. And because of the stretch marks I suppose its really not that big of a deal...but would stretch marks make a difference in how an incision is done? Its healing but its really not neat and tidy looking at all

GreenChrysallis, I have to agree with you again. One of the ways I've been trying to deal with head hunger is to "divert" my attention to something else. Sometimes is just walking & I've also been rediscovering things that use to make me happy (like sewing). But the real hunger is there, too...no doubt about that! And also about everyone eating in front of me. Suppose for me its just a fact of life with 2 kids - also making food for them, too. Saturday I made the Breakfast thing for them -pancakes, bacon & fruit and I didn't cheat. I drew the line at baking Cookies LOL! Sometimes I can eat with everyone but when it gets bad I take my food into another room but I'm sure that sooner or later when I can eat more normal foods it will get better. Thanks for your support!!

I tend to agree - its part real hunger and part head hunger. Having to make food for my family when I can't eat it, or watch tv and see all of the food commercials, or go shopping and see all of those things that I use to eat - it is enough to drive anyone bananas. Notice the desire but don't act on it and it will pass. Then remind yourself why you got the band and it gets a little easier. Old habits are killers to break

About 5 days for me. I was the one who couldn't wait. Its a great way to forget the fact that we can't eat. Just don't go too wild!:biggrin:

Hi Skyblu79, you have nothing keeping you from going, just that you're not sure where you want to move to. Make a checklist of things you want and don't want in a new place and then research the different parts of the country (if you hate snow and cold winters then Alaska would be out of the question! LOL). If you're going to do it this is the time! Trust me...I'd really like to try out Alaska but DH has NO desire to even think about it ;-(

The nurse said I was talking about pizza while on meds LOL I find it really funny since Pizza isn't a trigger food for me. Yes, I, too, am hungry (was banded 2/19) and had vivid food dreams that night in the hospital. And as the swelling in the stomach goes down the hunger might return even greater. The head hunger is the worse, tho - the desire to eat what everyone else is. About 3 more weeks before my 1st fill. And as far as the BM goes I didn't have one until about 9 days post op. Wasn't allowed to eat until 4 days post op so it really was only like 5 days. I was worried 'cause a friend who had bypass a month before ended up having bad internal hemroids (sp?) and I wanted to make sure that didn't happen to me. I took some natural Fiber 'cause they have me on a soft Protein diet for a week. Now I'm MUCH better and everything is leaving as it should :-).

Hi All, I initially had to do a 6 month Dr supervised weight loss program and a bunch of other hoops. Started jumping through the hoops in September but in December they called me and told me that BCBS no longer required all of that. Just had surgery on Feb 19, feeling fine. Today was the 1st day that I could eat soft proftens and I didn't follow everything like I should. But tomorrow is a new day! I'm happy that I did this!

Yeah! I was banded 2 days ago on 2/19! It went great and is going great. I miss food, though...I'll be able to start on soft protein on Sunday, 4 days post op. Right now it just the clear liquids

Hi Maya314, I just got banded on Tuesday, 2/19. Who's your doc? Mine is Dr Blackstone with the Scottsdale Bariatric Center. She's great.

Hi All! I use to be an avid coffee drinker but only with tons of sugar and cream. Would have a cup before going to work, would then go to Starbucks every day while at work and order a vente americano, then come home in the pm and drink more (I think Starbucks superpumps-up their drinks with caffine). Started to have reactions to all that coffee, like uncontrolable runs, bladder spasms & rashes. Personally, I think caffine is a drug and should be looked at as such. We don't even allow our children to drink it. And all the foods that caffine is in, too - like peppermint! I, too, have given up coffee for months at a time and have felt better so it wasn't too difficult for me to give it up for surgery. I plan on never going back to it. Coffee's always been a weight loss killer for me. Being banded on Tuesday 12/19 (the light is at the end of the tunnel)

Hi Sue40, My Dr required a loss of 9% of the weight to be lost (for example, if you are 200 pounds and they want you to be 135 that would be 9% of 65 pounds). Sorry if I'm not coming across clearly I might be half asleep here. She even indicated that if we didn't lose the weight that the surgery might be canceled. I didn't lose the weight (in fact, i gained 7 pounds!) and I'm still on for this tuesday the 19th. My weight gain wasn't even mentioned at the PreOp meeting!

I've told almost everyone and I'm not even banded yet! This Tuesday, 2/19 is my date. Actually, I started off telling everyone that I was going to get banded because I was thrilled and then I came to regret it if only because it seems people want explanations. They ask lots of questions...of course we don't have to tell them anything beyond what we want to but by telling it opens up the box. And then they tell you how they feel about gastric surgery. I don't CARE how they feel about it. I suppose there are people out there who are banded and/or have the RNY and (like Star Jones) don't talk about how they are losing weight. So now there are people out there who know and are judging me, sizing me up and wondering if I'm going to fail. Sounds paranoid, I know. Most that I know are really supporting me. But the stigma is there - I've had the "going about it the easy way" comments that are just blah. If you don't have that relationship with your in-laws then don't tell them. Its really about what you are comfortable with. :-)

It's happended...what I've feared the most. I'm SICK! I'm to be banded on Tuesday, 2/19 and I started to feel the cold come on Thursday, 2/7...Cold w/a mild cough (but a cough). I'm afraid to call the Dr's because I fear they will cancel or postpone me. Thinking that in a week I'll feel better. Been taking the vitamins, etc...:crying:Any suggestions?